BSC High: Junior Year
by Rachel D
Summary: Book Three in the miniseries. No flames, please! COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1: September, Mary Anne

_**BSC HIGH: Junior Year**_

A/N: Book Three in the miniseries.

_**CHAPTER 1: September—Mary Anne**_

__You never know what will happen on a morning in early September. My day started when my cat Tigger started walking on my chest and meowing. Normally, he's pretty quiet. But this time, he was meowing and yowling up a storm. It was like he was saying, "Hey, get up and feed me!"

"Okay, I'm up," I yawned as I lifted him off of me and sat up. With a cat like Tigger, who needs an alarm clock?

Who am I? I'm Mary Anne Spier, and I'm almost sixteen years old. Today, I was starting my junior year at Stoneybrook High School. It would be another year of helping lost freshmen. As if I didn't have that problem plenty of times when I was one!

I live with my dad, stepmother, and cat. Both of my stepsiblings have moved back to California to live with their dad. I really hated to see my stepsister leave, because she's also a friend, too. I understood, though. Her friend's mom had just died of cancer.

You want to hear a romantic story? My dad and stepmother were high school sweethearts. Unfortunately, my stepmother's parents didn't approve of the relationship, so they sent her away to college in California; and soon after that, my parents met, got married, and had me. My mom died when I was barely old enough to talk, which upset Dad so much that he sent me to live with my mother's parents in Iowa until he could get his life back together. That's a time in my life that I don't remember, of course, but I've seen pictures. When I was a year and a half old, Dad felt that he was ready to take me back. There wasn't a big court battle, and my grandparents reluctantly returned me. I can understand why my grandparents didn't want to give me up. It was because my mother was their only child, so I was their only grandchild, and they felt that as long as I was with them, a piece of my mother was there, too.

You want to know something? Until I was thirteen years old, I never knew about that part of my life. Dad showed me a letter that my mother had written me, and my grandmother called him to let him know that my grandfather had just died, and she really wanted to see, and get to know, me. (That was when I found out that they hadn't spoken to each other in almost twelve years.) Dad reluctantly let me visit for a week, and I've been trying to go for a week in the summer every year since then.

Dad wanted to prove to a lot of people, namely my mother's parents, that he could handle raising a child on his own, so he invented all these rules about how I dressed, wore my hair, etc. In fact, my room looked like a nursery. I almost felt like I was living in boot camp. I was in seventh grade before he started loosening up, which also included his permission to redecorate my room. I also think remarriage helped him. Dad recently let me get my ears pierced. I was a little nervous during the actual procedure, but Dad and Grandma Baker—Mama's mother—held my hands the whole time.

There's also one thing I'd like to mention. I'm also the secretary of the Baby-sitters Club, but I'll tell you more about that later.

You want to know who my stepsister is? It's Dawn Schafer, who's also one of my best friends, like I said. Sharon, my stepmother, divorced her first husband when we were in seventh grade, then Sharon brought her children, Dawn and Jeff, to Stoneybrook, because it's the town where she grew up. Jeff never really adjusted to life in Connecticut, so he returned to California to live with his dad. Dawn recently went back, too, like I said. In fact, Dawn's friend Sunny Winslow, the one whose mom had just died, is the president of a California-based BSC called the We Love Kids Club. They're not quite as organized as the BSC, but they're still very nice girls.

My best friend Kristy Thomas is the BSC president. Kristy and I practically grew up as neighbors. In fact, I could look out my bedroom window and into her bedroom, and we'd even worked out this flashlight code so we could talk at night after our parents had sent us to bed. I'm still amazed at how we were able to pull that off without getting caught.

Anyway, Kristy was only six when her dad walked out on them. (Claudia Kishi, who lived across the street from us, and I never really liked him much.) About six years later, her mom remarried. Kristy has two older brothers, a younger brother, a younger stepsister and stepbrother, and an adopted sister. Kristy's sixteen, and like me, she'll be a junior at SHS.

Kristy's older brothers, twenty-year-old Charlie and eighteen-year-old Sam, attend NYU, where Charlie's a junior and Sam's a freshman. Her younger brother David Michael is ten and in fifth grade at Stoneybrook Elementary School. Her younger stepsister Karen is almost ten and in fifth grade, her younger stepbrother Andrew is seven and in second grade, and her adopted sister Emily is five and in kindergarten. They attend Stoneybrook Academy, a private school in Kristy's neighborhood.

Kristy's grandmother, Nannie, lives there, too. She moved in to help when Emily was adopted into the family. Now, I head that she's in the process of moving out, now that Emily's in school. I think I remember Kristy saying something about Nannie moving into the apartment complex at the end of her block.

Kristy and I have our similarities and differences. The only similarities are that we're both short and have brown hair. She's five-foot-two, and wears hers long. I'm an inch taller, and keep mine short. Kristy's a loudmouth who rarely cries, whereas I'm really sensitive, and cry over the slightest little thing. (Whatever you do, don't watch _Love Story _with me, okay?) Kristy loves being in charge, and I don't like being the center of attention. In fact, I even ran out on my own thirteenth birthday party. Claudia Kishi is the vice-president of the BSC. She's also sixteen and a junior at SHS, which I really think is quite an accomplishment, since she's not the best student in the world. In fact, Claud had to repeat some of seventh grade, but she was able to catch up and go to high school with us. Anyway, Claud's five-foot-five, and Japanese-American. Her mom was born in Japan, and came to the United States when she was a kid. Claud has an older sister named Janine, who's nineteen and a sophomore at U-Conn, where she's a pre-med major, because she's going to be a doctor. Janine is a genuine genius and would constantly be correcting us. For example, if we said something she thought sounded improper, she would go on these long rants about the proper usage of the term. Her grandmother Mimi used to live with them, too, but she died about three years ago. In fact, since I never knew my own mother, Mimi was like a second mother to me.

Stacey McGill is the BSC treasurer. She's sixteen, a SHS junior, and five-foot-eight. She's originally from New York, which is where I want to live someday. She's also diabetic, and has to stick to a strict diet. Stacey's a math whiz, and also a great treasurer.

Abby Stevenson is our alternate officer, which means that she takes over if someone has to miss a meeting. (Dawn used to be one, too, until she moved back to California.) Like me, Abby's almost sixteen, but will be a junior at SHS. Abby's Jewish, at least a head taller than me, and has really thick dark curly hair. Abby has a twin sister named Anna, and they were only nine when their father was killed in a car accident. At least Abby never lost her sense of humor, which grows on you.

Mallory Pike and Jessica Ramsey are both fourteen and freshmen at SHS. Jessi's about five-foot-nine, African-American, and a very talented ballerina. She lives with her parents, her Aunt Cecelia, who moved in to help when Mrs. Ramsey got a job, her eleven-year-old sister Becca (short for Rebecca), who's in sixth grade at SMS, and her four-year-old brother John Junior, or JJ, as he insists he should now be called.

Mallory has red hair, glasses, is an inch shorter than Jessi, and comes from a big family. She has seven siblings, and three of them are triplets. In fact, Mal used to go to a boarding school in Massachusetts, but she decided to return to Stoneybrook for high school, so we're really glad.

Mallory's brothers—Adam, Byron, and Jordan, the triplets—are thirteen and in eight grade, her sister Vanessa is twelve and in seventh grade, and her youngest brother Nick is eleven and in sixth grade. They attend SMS, but the others attend Stoneybrook Elementary: Margo's ten and in fifth grade and Claire's eight and in third grade.

We also have several honorary and associate members who take the jobs we can't. There's Logan Bruno, who happens to be my boyfriend; Shannon Kilbourne, who lives across the street from Kristy, and is the only BSC member to go to a private school; Jason and Bebe Everett (Jason is Claudia's boyfriend, by the way), who are the only ones not born in this country; Vanessa Pike, Mallory's sister; Haley Braddock, Vanessa's best friend; and Charlotte Johanssen. Vanessa, Haley, and Charlotte also happen to be three of our former baby-sitting charges.

Of all of us, Jason is the oldest, in terms of age. He's seventeen, but like us older ones, he and Logan will be juniors at SHS. Jason and Bebe also happen to be stepsiblings. Bebe was born in Canada, and came to the United States with her dad when she was a baby. Jason was born in Scotland,

and came to the United States with his mom when he was four.

Jason and I also have something important in common: he never knew his dad, and I never knew my mom. Jason says that his real dad was killed in Iraq about a month before he was born. The only father Jason's known is his stepfather Steve, who adopted him when he was five. That means Steve married Jason's mom, Diann, and since she took his last name, Steve was legally allowed to adopt Jason, since his real father was deceased. Another interesting thing about Jason is the fact that even though he came to America at such a young age, his accent never went away completely. Nowadays, he sounds like the present-day Ewan McGregor, how happens to be one of my favorite actors.

Like I said, Shannon is in eleventh grade at Stoneybrook Day School, another private school in Kristy's neighborhood. Bebe, Charlotte, and Haley attend SMS, where Bebe's in eighth grade, and Charlotte and Haley are in seventh grade.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, getting ready for my first day of my junior year of high school. I pulled out a white blouse and jeans skirt and quickly dressed. I added socks and loafers to the outfit. Then I looked in the mirror. On the upside, I didn't look like a little girl, but I still looked pretty nice. I put on a little blush and eye shadow, then reached into my jewelry box and pulled out my little "MARY ANNE" necklace and a pair of tiny silver hoop earrings. By the way, here's a little tip: the secret to wearing make-up is to make it look like you're not wearing any.

Then I went into the kitchen, where I found Dad and Sharon. Sharon was preparing oatmeal, and Dad was getting ready to leave. "Good morning," I said as I sat down at the kitchen table. Dad kissed my forehead and walked out the door. I tucked a dish towel into my blouse to keep from getting oatmeal on it.

"Good morning," Sharon said said as she served my oatmeal. "Ready for school?"

"Mm-hm," I answered. I ate as quickly as I could, then took the dish towel out of my blouse and put my bowl in the sink. I stepped into the bathroom long enough to brush my teeth and apply lip gloss. Then I gathered up my purse and notebook as I heard a car horn honk outside. "See you later."

"'Bye, Mary Anne," Sharon said.

I ran out to the car and got in the front seat. "Hey, Kristy," I said.

"Hey, yourself," she answered.

When we arrived at SHS, I saw Stacey's yellow sports car pulling in next to us. The four of us got out of our vehicles and headed to the front entrance of the school.

The hallway was a madhouse with all of these kids getting their schedules. When I got mine, here's what I saw:

**1****st**** period-Math**

** 2****nd**** period-American History**

** 3****rd**** period-Home Ec.**

** 4****th**** period-English**

** 5****th**** period-lunch**

** 6****th**** period-study hall**

** 7****th**** period-P.E.**

** 8****th**** period-science**

"Oh, for cryin' out loud!" Kristy exclaimed. "I've got Home Ec._ again? _Haven't I suffered enough? What did I ever do to that guidance counselor?"

"Hey," Abby said. "Those teachers just love to torture the kids who aren't exactly Miss Suzy Homemaker. Don't sweat it."

"Well, Kristy," I said, "judging from your schedule, you've got Home Ec. at the same time I've got gym, and as you know, I'm not the most athletic person in the world."

Kristy giggled. "I'm starting to feel better already," she said.

Just then, the bell rang, and we went to homeroom. Kristy, Abby, and I into one; the two guys into a second; and Claud and Stacey into a third.

After homeroom, my morning pretty much ran like this. First period math with Kristy, Abby, and Logan; second period American History with none of my BSC friends; third period Home Ec. with Kristy and Abby; and fourth period English with Abby.

At lunch time, I met up with Kristy and the two guys in the cafeteria. "I can't wait until next year when we get to leave the campus for lunch," Kristy commented as we went through the lunch line.

After we got our lunch trays, we sat down at a table, and soon the two guys joined us. The day's lunch consisted of a hamburger, tater tots, corn, and milk.

"Well, Kristy, how are you surviving?" Jason asked.

"I'm fine, for now," Kristy answered. "I'm not exactly looking forward to Home Ec., though. "Hey, Kristy, if it's any consolation to you, your homemaking ability matches my sports ability," I said as I ate a tater tot. "In fact, Michael Phelps would take one look at me and say, 'Why waste my time?'"

"You know, that's the same thing Gordon Ramsay would say about me," Kristy commented. "Well, after he finished ranting and raving, that is."

As soon as we finished eating, we took our trays to the trash can. At that moment, the bell rang.

That afternoon, I had sixth period study hall and seventh period gym with Jason. I had eighth period science with Stacey.

After the last bell rang, I went to my locker, got out a couple of books, and left school. So far, I hadn't had to help any lost freshmen, but that would eventually come.


	2. Chapter 2: October, Kristy

_**CHAPTER 2: October—Kristy**_

It was the first Friday in October. Bebe, Charlotte, and I were sitting in a booth at the Rosebud Café, watching one of the busboys, who was on his break, play pinball. _"Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball..." _he sang. That would've been fairly enjoyable to watch if it weren't for two things. One, he absolutely SUCKED at pinball, and two, he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. If there was ever a bad-singing contest with him, Claud, Mal, and Abby, I don't know who'd win.

The entire time, the three of us were trying our hardest not to laugh, we looked like our heads were about to explode any second. Finally, we couldn't keep it in any longer, and we rushed out the nearest exit. As soon as the three of us were safely next to my car, we let loose with the loudest, shrillest laughter that only happens when you've been holding it in as long as we have.

"Oh, man, that was _so _hilarious!" Charlotte howled. "I've never heard such crappy singing in my life!"

"If only Jason were here to do his Simon Cowell impression," Bebe giggled. "And I thought my Aunt Amy had a voice sounded like a fork stuck in a garbage disposal."

"Oh, you want to talk about bad singing?" I asked. "Just be glad that you've never heard Watson in the shower." Then, in my most off-key Neil Diamond voice I could muster, I sang, _"Love on the rocks...is no big surprise; pour me a dri-ink, and I'll tell you some lies..."_

By now, we'd already pulled up beside the Johanssens', and after we'd _finally _managed to calm down, Charlotte got out of the car and called over her shoulder, "Thanks for the smoothie, Kristy!"

"No problem. See you at the meeting," I called back, then drove to the apartment complex at the end of Watson's block. I saw Nannie coming out of her apartment and heading to the Pink Clinker. I honked and waved at her and Bebe as I pulled away from the curb. They waved back.

When I got home, the first thing I saw was the Junk Bucket parked in the driveway. I didn't think anything of it at first, because it looked worse than ever. To tell you the truth, if that car could talk, it would've been begging to be hauled to the junkyard.

In retrospect, I knew that something wasn't right, because when I came into the kitchen, I saw Mom and my older brothers sitting at the kitchen table. Sam was sitting there with his chin in his hands, Mom had her head in hers, and Charlie had his arm across Mom's shoulders. I hadn't seen my brothers with those looks on their faces since Watson told us that Boo-Boo had died.

"Hi," I said, trying to get her attention.

"Oh, hi, Sis," Sam said.

Mom and Charlie looked up, and Mom very quickly started wiping her face with her hands. She had obviously been crying.

"Hi, Kristy," Charlie answered. "How are you?"

"Oh, fine," I answered. "I've got a BSC meeting today."

"Kristy, could you sit down for a minute, please?" Mom asked. I sat down beside her. Sam was across the table from me.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked uneasily. Sam took my hand in his.

"Kristy," Mom began, "while you were at school today, I got a call from United Airlines."

Immediately, panic rushed through me. You see, a couple of days ago, Watson left to go on a business trip to Memphis, because Unity Insurance, the company he works for, was opening a branch of his office there, and I'd heard that he was called to oversee the construction there.

Anyway, my first thought was that something had happened to him. "What happened?" I demanded in alarm. "Did something happen to Watson?"

"Watson's fine, honey," Mom reassured me. "There was a terrible crash somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. We don't know the whole story yet, but the airline told us that there were no survivors."

I felt my throat swell up to where it felt as big as an orange. "Is Dad...?" I started to ask, but couldn't even finish my sentence. I was asking my mother about the same man who had walked out on us ten years ago, the same man who never even bothered to send child support money, remembered our birthdays, watch David Michael grow up, or even see me and my older brothers graduate from SMS, or my brothers graduate from SHS. Furthermore, he'd come by to see me only once, but never had the _cojones _to let Mom know that he was in town, thus forcing me to lie to Mom and Watson about where I was going or what I was doing. And what does he do to thank me? Skip town, of course. And he never took two damn minutes to tell me good-bye. And it's so ironic that he was coming to Connecticut—at least I _think _he was—and this happened.

Anyway, Mom and my brothers nodded. Sam squeezed my hand, and released it. That's when it finally sank in: Dad was dead. We would never see him again.

I couldn't bear to stay in that kitchen any longer, so I got out of my chair and hurried to the half-bathroom downstairs, where I immediately parked myself in front of the toilet and started puking. I puked loud, long, and hard. And you know something? If it weren't for the news about my so-called father's death, I would've started quoting the drinking story from _Bill Cosby, Himself._

After I finished puking, I slumped to the ice-cold linoleum floor and sobbed. For the third time, Dad had left me. This time, it was forever. The worst part was that I'd never get the chance to tell him how I felt, how much heartache and pain he'd caused for our family, and how much I resented him for what he'd done to me, to Mom, and my brothers.

When my brothers and I were younger, Mom would tell us that you are accountable for your actions. In that moment of clarity, I took to heart what she'd said. I knew my father need to own his actions, and as much as I resented him, as cheated as I'd felt until Watson came into my life, and as worried as I was about my family, part of me was also worried about Dad, because deep down, even though he was such a selfish, inconsiderate jerk, I still loved him. I don't know why, but I did.

I finally pulled myself together after a few minutes, checked my watch, and saw that it was 4:45. After flushing the toilet, I washed my face and hands, rinsed my mouth out, and came out of the bathroom, then hurried past the kitchen, went outside, and got in my car. Regardless of the news about Dad, I still had a club to run.


	3. Chapter 3: November, Stacey

_**CHAPTER 3: November—Stacey**_

__It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I'd just gotten in the door when the phone rang. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, Boontsie," Dad's voice answered.

"Hi, Dad," I said. _I wish he'd stop calling me that, _I thought. _I'm a junior in high school, for God's sake. _"What's up?"

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving?"

"Well, Mom and I are having our Thanksgiving dinner tonight, then I'm getting on the train tomorrow after school, and spending Thanksgiving with you and Samantha, then returning to Stoneybrook the following Sunday."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan," Dad said.

"See you tomorrow, Dad," I said.

"'Bye, Stacey.

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help feeling excited, and was looking forward to Thanksgiving.

The next day, as soon as I got home from school, I dropped my stuff off, brought my suitcase into the living room, and waited for Mom. As soon as Mom came home, we went to the train station. I was leaving my car with her, not only because she might need it, but also, almost everybody in New York takes either a cab or the subway. Have you ever tried to find a parking space there?

As soon as we got out of the car and stepped onto the platform, we hugged each other. "See you Sunday," Mom said.

"See you, Mom," I said as I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the train.

"All aboard!" the train conductor called out as I climbed the steps and got on the train. When I found a place to sit, I put my suitcase at my feet.

As the train headed to New York, I began to make my plans. I decided that on Friday, I would start my Christmas shopping at Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Bloomingdale's happens to be one of my favorite stores. Jason once told me that his uncle works there, but I haven't met him yet. In fact, when Kristy, Claud, Mary Anne, and Dawn visited me in New York for the first time, I took them there, and Mary Anne almost got arrested for shoplifting. Luckily the security guard let us go, once he understood that my friends were the tourists.

Another thing I remembered was that when I was little, Mom worked at Macy's, but when I was diagnosed with diabetes, she quit her job. Why? Well, I guess she thought I was an invalid who needed round-the-clock care.

When my parents divorced, and Mom and I returned to Stoneybrook, she started looking for a job, but before long, she started going on interviews. In fact, one day, Mom collapsed during an interview, was rushed to the hospital, and diagnosed with pneumonia. At the time, I was getting ready to spend a weekend with Dad, but was about to bail out, because I couldn't find someone to stay with Mom. (I had called various neighbors, and Dad had called someone from a visiting nursing service, creating all kinds of confusion.) I wasn't able to attend a banquet that he was being honored at, so I made him an award of my own. He says it's on the bulletin board beside his desk.

When the train arrived in New York, I picked up my suitcase and followed everyone ahead of me off the train. I saw Dad and Samantha in the crowd. "Hi!" I called, waving, as I ran to them.

"Hi, Stacey!" Samantha called back. I gave each of them a hug.

"Ready for Thanksgiving?" Dad asked.

"Yup," I answered. "In fact, I've got it all planned out. On Friday, I want to start my Christmas shopping at Macy's and Bloomingdale's."

Dad nodded.

As we headed back to the apartment, another memory came back to me. When I was in kindergarten, Macy's had sponsored a _Cinderella _float, and I still remember how that had been one of my favorite movies. I guess you could say that I was obsessed with it. I was invited to be on the float, because like I said, Mom had been an employee there at the time. The only downside was, when it was on TV, I was sitting on the opposite side of the float, out of camera range. As I later found out, all that could be seen was a corner of my coat. I was so disappointed. Something good came out of it, though: Cinderella almost lost her crown, but I retrieved it, and she let me keep it. That really meant the world to me, and it currently sits on the top shelf of my bookcase at Mom's house. Someday, if I ever have a little girl, I'm probably going to give it to her.

As soon as we got to the apartment, Samantha started dinner while I put my stuff in my room.

As I sat down at the table, I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

Two days later, just as I'd planned, I started my Christmas shopping. We'd spent Thanksgiving morning watching the parade from our apartment window, then we spent the day at the apartment, and caught that night's performance of _Wicked, _and even though the music was good, the plot line sucked. I guess I'm just partial to _The Wizard of Oz. _Anyway, on Black Friday, I started my Christmas shopping. At Macy's, I bought a necklace with a teardrop pendant for Claud (and no, I'm not going to make her sing, _"What a very nice pendant..."), _a set of monogrammed handkerchiefs for Dad, and a personalized writing pad for Samantha.

Now, I was at Bloomingdale's. I bought a necklace with a sapphire stud for Mary Anne and a glass picture frame for Mom. I knew they'd love them.

When I got to the counter, I noticed that the person who rang up my order was a middle-aged African-American man who looked like Billy Dee Williams. His name tag read "Aaron". I wondered if he was Jason's uncle. "I'm giving this necklace to one of my friends in the Baby-sitters Club back in Stoneybrook," I told him.

"Stoneybrook?" he repeated. "I've got family there. My wife's sister and her family live there."

"Really?" I asked. "What's her name?"

"Diann Everett," he answered.

That's when it started to click with me. "I think I know them. Do you have a nephew named Jason?"

"Why, yes, I do."

"Jason's also in the Baby-sitters Club."

"That'll be $32.50," he said as he finished ringing up my order and totaling the items. I gave him thirty-five dollars, and he gave me back my change.

"Thank you," I said, then left the counter. I met Dad at the entrance, and we hailed a cab back to our apartment.

As the song in _Gypsy _says, small world, isn't it?


	4. Chapter 4: December, Logan

_**CHAPTER 4: December—Logan**_

__It was after sixth period on the last day of school before Christmas vacation. I was leaving the guys' locker room when I ran into Alan and Pete.

"Hey, Logan," Pete said. "A bunch of us are getting together in the gym tomorrow to play some basketball. You in?"

"I wish I could, but I can't," I said, pulling on my SHS varsity jacket. "I told the Rodowskys I'd come to Shea's piano recital."

"Boy, that Baby-sitters Club sure have their hooks into you, don't they?" Alan asked.

"That's what I've been telling him for years," King's voice said. We turned around and saw him passing by. "But does he listen to me? _Noooo. _So, what have they roped you into this time?"

"Well, since you're so interested in my personal life," I told him, "I promised the Rodowskys' I'd come to Shea's piano recital."

"How sweet," King said. The next thing I knew, he pretended to play, and imitate, a glissando on the piano, then he turned around, bent over, and made a farting noise with both hands. Yes, folks, maturity lives on.

Well, naturally, King's little spectacle didn't faze Alan and Pete. In fact, they actually started applauding—very elegantly, I might add, like the were at an 18th-century opera. "Brilliant!" Alan said, in a stuffy, falsetto British accent, rolling the _r's _and all.

"Yes, but I think that you guys forgot your powdered wigs," I said.

"Oh, that's right," King said. "I think mine's in the shop."

"Really? I thought your brain was," I answered. To my surprise, he didn't have an answer for that as he continued down the hall. Oh, well, at least none of them were doing that God-awful high-pitched laugh, if you know what I mean.

The next day, I pulled into the parking lot at the Civic Center, and got out of the car. "Now, this is what I call cold," I said to myself as I turned up the collar on my Kentucky U parka. That's when I saw the Rodowskys getting out of their car, about five spaces down from me.

"Hi, Logan!" Jackie called as he ran to me. To no one's surprise, he tripped over the curb. Luckily, he was able to put his hands out to keep from landing on his face. I don't know why, but seeing that reminded me of the final dress rehearsal for _Carnival. _You see, we were doing this song called "Sword, Rose & Cape". During the number, Jackie had tripped over his own foot, and while trying to maintain his balance, accidentally slapped me in the mouth. Luckily, he didn't hurt himself, other than losing another baby tooth, and the song went on without a hitch.

"Hi, you guys," I said as I helped Jackie to his my feet. "Hi, Shea. You all ready for the recital?"

He nodded. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess," he said. He was trying to sound confident, but I could tell he was still a little nervous.

"Hey," I said, patting his shoulder. "You'll do just fine. And I'll be right there in the audience, cheering you on. Well, not literally, of course, because I'd make too much noise, and I'd probably get kicked out."

Naturally, Jackie and Archie started laughing hysterically. "They're going to kick him out!" Archie repeated, laughing.

"Yeah, good one, Logan," Jackie agreed.

"Thanks, Logan," Shea grinned. I knew that was just the confidence-booster he needed.

Half an hour later, I was sitting in the fourth row between Jackie and Archie. "Do you really think we'd get kicked out for cheering for Shea, Logan?" Jackie whispered.

I thought for a minute. "Well—I don't know if they'd really kick us out, but some of the other people here would tell us to quiet down," I said.

"How about if we just cheer in our heads? Would that be okay?" Archie asked.

"I don't see why not," I said. "Just as long as you don't make any noise."

"Deal," Archie agreed, and he turned to face the stage.

A minute or so later, Shea walked out on stage in his brand-new all-black suit with bright green tie, and sat down at the piano. After wiggling his fingers around to wake them up, he opened his music to the first page, and without a second thought as to who was out there, began to play.

I was so proud of Shea. He'd come out of his shell so much since I'd first met him, and that was probably the best Christmas present he could ask for.


	5. Chapter 5: January, Claudia

_**CHAPTER 5: January—Claudia**_

__It was the last Friday in January. As I passed by the bulletin board on my way to lunch, I saw the audition notices for the all-school play, _Inherit the Wind, _and the senior class play, _Bus Stop._

When I saw the audition notices, I got an idea. (I swear, Kristy's good influence must be rubbing off on all of us.) I decided to talk to Mrs. Howe after school.

After school, just as I'd planned, I stopped by the art room. Mrs. Howe was putting her art supplies in her canvas bag. "Mrs. Howe?" I said.

She looked up. "Hi, Claudia," she said. "What's up?"

"Well, I just saw the audition notices for both plays," I told her.

"Yes, the auditions will be on Monday after school. Why?"

"Well," I continued, "I've never had the guts to do this before, but I want to help with the set for _Inherit the Wind. _I've had set-building and set-decorating experience."

"I see."

"When SMS did _Peter Pan _and _Carnival, _I helped with the sets," I explained.

"Oh?" she asked. "You mean, you'd be wanting to help with the set for _Inherit the Wind_?What about _Bus Stop_?"

"I can only help with one play," I told her.

"I understand," she said.

"Thanks. See you Monday."

"'Bye, Claudia."

As I left Mrs. Howe's classroom, I felt a surge of excitement go through me. I was about to help out with my first high school play.

The house was empty when I got home, which was a good thing. I'd just finished my cigarette, and was putting it out. Besides loving junk food, dressing outrageously, and getting mediocre grades, I'm also the only one in my family who smokes. I still remember when Kristy told me she thinks I do have the Kishi genius genes, but they took a wrong turn, tripping over the junk-food loving DNA, and landing in the art part of the brain, which explains why I'm such a fabulous artist. And just like I do with the junk food hidden all over my room, I stuffed the cigarettes—filtered menthols, by the way—under the driver's seat, and just to be on the safe side, I took the little can of air freshener out of my bag and sprayed it all over the inside of my car. I wasn't about to let my parents or Janine find out that I was polluting my lungs like this.

After making sure that my car was safe, I went into the house and upstairs to my room. I laid my bag beside my desk, opened my desk drawer, and took out a package of grape Twizzlers. I took one from the package and held it in my teeth while I took my gray parka off and hung it on the back of the chair, and put the others back. When I closed the drawer, I saw the portrait of Mimi in its usual place.

"Hi, Mimi," I said as I took a bite of my treat. "How have you been? I've been doing all right. I just asked Mrs. Howe if I could help with the set for _Inherit the Wind. _Remember when we saw that play in Stamford on my tenth birthday? It's based on the Scopes Monkey Trial. Anyway, Mrs. Howe said I could help." I swallowed as I finished the last bite of my treat. "Also, I think my relationship with Jason isn't what it used to be. Oh, we still get along, but we're not as close as we used to be, you know? I think I may be falling out of love with him, and I'm not too sure, but I think he may be feeling the same way. I just hope when, or if, I tell him we should call it off, it shouldn't be too much for him to handle. Either way, I think I'd better tell him."

That's when the phone rang. _That's funny, _I thought. _I know there's a meeting today, but it isn't even 4:30 yet._

"Well, I'd better answer the phone now," I told Mimi. "Thanks for listening to me...I love you." Then I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hi, Claud," Jason answered.

"Hi, Jason," I said as I settled back in the chair. "Coming to the meeting?"

"I might, if I'm not too tired," he said. "Listen, the reason I'm calling is because I have something to tell you."

As soon as he said that, all those old feelings came back, but this time, they weren't the same as before. I knew what was coming, but I wasn't ready for it yet. On the other hand, I'd been feeling the same way, so it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.

"Really?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," Jason answered solemnly. "I'm sorry, Claud, but you were the first girl I ever really loved. I just want you to know that I'll always cherish the times we had together, and I never expected anything in return, but honestly, I feel that this relationship has run its course...Claud? Claud, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I said as I snapped myself back to reality. "It's just that, well, I kind of saw this coming, but I wasn't really prepared for it, you know?"

"I know," Jason agreed. "I don't think anyone really is."

"So, are you all right?"

"Aye. You?"

"I'll be okay. So, we're still friends, right?"

"Oh, absolutely. Nothing will change that," he reassured me. "Well, like the song says, thanks for the memories."

"You, too. So, I'll see you at the meeting?"

"Sure, why not? Well, uh...'bye."

"'Bye." And we hung up.

Call me crazy, but instead of crying like a baby over this, I was only a little sad. Like Jason had said, no one's ever really prepared for a break-up, but I think we handled it pretty well, and we'll always be friends. It just goes to show that just because something ends, that doesn't necessarily mean that your life is over. And as long as I had the BSC, I knew my life wouldn't be over.


	6. Chapter 6: February, Jason

_**CHAPTER 6: February—Jason**_

__At lunch time on Thursday afternoon, a few days before my birthday, Kristy, Mary Anne, Logan, and I were sitting at our usual table. "Oh, did you guys see the cast list for _Inherit the Wind _yet?" Kristy asked, taking a bite of her tuna melt.

"Oh, did they put it up already?" Mary Anne asked as she finished her fruit cocktail.

Kristy nodded. "That's what Abby told me," she answered.

"I sure hope I got the part of Bert Cates," Logan commented, taking a sip of milk.

"I'm sure you'll get that part, Logan," Mary Anne said reassuringly. "I mean, you nailed that audition."

"Well, no offense, Logan, but you didn't have trouble with the Southern accent, like I did," I said, taking a sip of my soda.

"None taken," Logan said. "You know, the library has those dialect tapes on the ground floor near the children's department. They've probably got a Southern tape."

"Thanks, Logan," I said. That's when the bell rang, ending lunch.

After school, I stopped outside Mr. D'Amato's office. Sure enough, there was the cast list for _Inherit the Wind. _When I got a closer look, here's what I saw:

** Matthew Harrison Brady. . . . . . . . . .JASON EVERETT**

** Bert Cates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LOGAN BRUNO**

** Mrs. Brady. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KRISTY THOMAS**

** Rachel Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STACEY McGILL**

** Meeker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PETE BLACK**

** E.K. Hornbeck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALAN GRAY**

** Mrs. Loomis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .COKIE MASON**

** Henry Drummond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JASON HENDERSON**

When I saw my name beside the character of Matthew Harrison Brady, that's when I definitely knew I'd need that tape.

As soon as I left school, I went to the library. They had the tape I needed, and I checked it out.

When I got back out to my truck (a Christmas present from Mum and Steve), I heard my cell phone ring from inside my bag, and I pulled it out. I'll bet you don't know many people whose cell phone ringtone is the opening riff to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man".

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, it's Watson. Listen, I hate to be calling on such short notice, but I got a call from Karen's school. She's not feeling well, and they think it might be the flu. I'm on my way over there to pick her up. Could you meet us at the house?"

"Sure," I said. "I'm on my way."

"Thanks. See you soon."

"Okay. See you," I said.

A few minutes later, I was driving up McLelland Road, and found myself outside the Thomas-Brewer mansion. Since no one was there yet, I stuck the dialect tape in the tape player to listen to it. While I did, I opened the glove compartment and pulled out a bandana, because I figured that Karen would be contagious. As I listened to the tape, I thought it was very interesting to hear how different Southern people sounded when they talked. It also reminded me of the time that Granny and I had watched _Gone With The Wind _when I was nine. That, of course, was in the days when my accent was _really _thick, and I could not, for the life of me, imitate the way those actors spoke.

I was listening to the tape, when out of nowhere, I heard a really loud sneeze, followed by a hacking cough. That had to be Karen, and I looked up just in time to see her and Watson get out of the car. Putting the tape in my jacket pocket, I tied up my bandana and got out of the truck.

"Hi, Jason," Watson said quickly, then he noticed that I was wearing the mask. "Oh, good, you're prepared. Listen, I have to get back to the office, so if you need anything, Nannie's number is right in the kitchen. If you can't reach her, Kristy's at the Kormans', so you can call there. Andrew, Emily, and David Michael will be with their friends. Elizabeth should be home in about an hour." With that, he got back in his car and was gone before I could say a word.

When we got inside, Karen removed her coat, set her backpack on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and laid down on the couch. "And I thought the tuba I had in second grade sounded bad," she moaned.

"Poor kid," I said sympathetically as I hung up her coat, set her backpack on the bench, and went into the kitchen to make some tea. Whenever I'm feeling under the weather, I usually have raspberry orange tea with lemon in it, both of which they had.

While the water was boiling, I went into the bathroom, picked up the little trash can, and emptied into the kitchen trash. "Here," I said as I handed it to her. "If you feel like you're going to throw up, you can do it in this."

"Thanks," she said. I returned to the kitchen just as the kettle was whistling. After turning off the stove, I poured it into two green mugs and took them back into the living room.

"Here you go, love," I said, handing one to her. I guess I should've known that Karen isn't really a tea drinker, because it was hard for her not to make a face as she sipped it.

"Thanks, Jason," she said, as politely as she could manage.

"I didn't know you didn't like tea," I said.

"That's okay," Karen sighed. "If it's supposed to help when you're feeling sick, then I guess I can manage."

"Good girl," I said, brushing her hair out of her face. "You look pretty tired, so why don't you take a nap?" She nodded, and settled back on the couch. I picked up her mug and carried it into the kitchen.

I was dumping the leftover tea down the sink when I heard Karen puking into the trash can. I had a feeling that she couldn't keep it down. As soon as I put the mug in the dishwasher, I returned to the living room to retrieve the trash can and saw that Karen had fallen asleep, so I cleaned out the trash can and returned it to the living room. Then I remembered that the dialect tape was still in my jacket. I went to get it, then went into the den, but kept my ears open in case Karen needed anything. I put the tape in the tape deck, and sat down in the chair to listen to it.

Right in the middle of learning how to pronounce the long "I" sound, which I'd had the most trouble with at auditions, I heard moaning coming from the direction of the living room. I tied up my mask, in case needed to get up in a hurry. At first, I assumed that Karen was just rolling onto her side, but it was almost immediately followed by a scream. I shut off the tape deck, and was instantly on my feet.

"Kristy! Kristy, where are you?" she was wailing.

I dashed into the living room, and was by Karen's side in a second. "Karen," I said. "Karen, it's all right. It was just a dream." She wrapped her arms around my neck and sobbed into my shoulder as I rubbed her back.

"Oh, Jason, it was terrible!" she whimpered. "I was on a plane that was going down, and after it crashed, I was the only one who was still alive. Then I heard Kristy calling for help, but I couldn't find her anywhere. There was so much smoke and fire, I couldn't see anything."

"It's over now," I said reassuringly, patting her hair. "Everything's all right, and I promise you, Kristy's fine."

"But Kristy's real dad was killed in a plane crash a few months ago," she reminded me.

"Oh, is that what made you dream that?" I asked. She nodded. "Well, you're right. That was a terrible tragedy, but that doesn't mean it'll happen to you or Kristy or anyone in your family. In fact, it's pretty rare." I pulled her closer and started singing "Ye Banks And Braes", which is an old Scottish folk song that Mum used to sing to me and Bebe when we were babies.

It wasn't until I'd finished singing and helped Karen lie back down that I noticed how warm she felt. "Karen?" I whispered.

"Mmm," she answered.

"Are you all right? You feel warm."

Karen didn't answer, so I ran to the bathroom and returned with a thermometer. I turned it on and very discreetly slipped it in Karen's mouth. When it beeped, I removed it and looked at it: 100.8. I'm just glad that's all it said, because Mary Anne once told me about that one time when she was baby sitting for Jenny Prezzioso, and Jenny had a fever of—get ready for this—104.

The next thing I heard was the sound of the front door opening. I looked up to see Elizabeth coming in with groceries. "Hi, Jason," she said.

"Hi," I answered, taking the bag from her.

"Thanks," she said. "I heard that Karen isn't feeling well."

"Flu," I said sympathetically. "I also just took her temperature a few minutes ago, and it's close to 101."

"Thanks. Poor kid."

I returned to the den for my tape, and put it in my pocket, then I headed to the front door as I saw Elizabeth leading Karen toward the stairs. "I'll see you later, okay?" I told Karen, ruffling her hair.

"See you, Jason," she answered.

As I let myself out, I removed the bandana and stuffed it in my jacket pocket. I was looking forward to _Inherit the Wind—_not only rehearsals, but the show itself—and I somehow knew that Karen would be well enough to see it.


	7. Chapter 7: March, Abby

_**CHAPTER 7: March—Abby**_

__It was the first Friday in March. I woke to the sound of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" blaring from my radio. As I got dressed, I started singing along. In case you're wondering, Aretha Franklin happens to be one of my favorite singers. The only downside is, when I sing, I make William Hung sound good. I'm also surprised the radio didn't tell me to shut up, just like that one scene from _Scary Movie 2._

I was still singing as I came down the hall. "Would somebody please let that cat out of the basement?" Anna asked.

I opened the basement door and peeked inside. "Here, kitty," I called, then closed the basement door. We don't really have a cat, mostly because I'm allergic to cat _litter, _but not cats.

The next thing I did was sit down at the kitchen table and lay my chin in my hands. "Somebody stole my cat!" I moaned. Mom and Anna got a good laugh. In case you're wondering, a couple of years ago, I'd been an usher for the all-school play, _M.A.S.H., _which is more like the movie than the TV show. I had seen the show both nights.

What's the connection between that and my routine, you ask? Well, in Act One, there's a scene where Hawkeye and Duke are organizing a plot to have Burns ousted, so they enlist the help of the houseboy Ho-Jon, who puts a dead cat—supplied by a Korean worker—in Burns' foot locker. When Burns finds it, as you'd expect, he's furious, and when he's running off to tell everybody, Ho-Jon sneaks back in and takes the cat away. When Burns comes back with Father Mulcahy, Sgt. Devine, and one of the nurses, the cat's gone, and Burns basically acts like a little kid about it.

"See you later, Mom," Anna said a few minutes later as we got ready to leave.

"'Bye, girls," Mom said. "Have a nice day." In the past, Mom would've already been gone by the time Anna and I left for school, but this year, she decided to work at home, because she got tired of the commute to New York. Now, she only does it whenever she has to go for a meeting.

"We will," I answered.

Just as we got outside, we saw Kristy's car pull up. Anna and I got in the backseat. Mary Anne was sitting in the front seat. "How are _Inherit the Wind _rehearsals going?" I asked Kristy.

"Great," she answered. "Jason's picking up on the Southern accent really fast. Oh, did I ever tell you about Sam's video of _The State_?"

"I don't know," Anna answered.

"Well, anyway," Kristy continued, "Mom and Watson had gotten it for him off eBay last Christmas, and he took it to NYU with him. Hopefully, he hasn't worn it out yet."

"Good," I laughed.

"Anyway," Kristy continued, "Jason's Southern accent sounds like a cross between the father in the Civil War skit on that video and Marc Singer's character from _Roots: The Next Generations."_

"Cool," I said.

When we arrived at school, we went to our lockers, got out our books for our morning classes, and went to homeroom.

I just knew today was going to be a great day.

That night after the BSC meeting, Kristy, Claud, Mary Anne, Stacey, Logan, Jason, Anna, Jessi, Mal, and I went to the Gathering Place at Stoneybrook University. That's a spot where the high school and college kids hang out on the weekends.

It was also karaoke night. Of all of us, the only ones with decent singing voices are Jason, Kristy, and Stacey. They looked through the karaoke book to see what they wanted to sing, then grabbed pencils, took the little slips of paper out of the book, wrote down their songs, and handed them to the deejay.

The first one up was Jason, who sang "Color My World" by Chicago. During the long intro, he said, "Don't worry, I'll start singing soon," making the audience laugh. Also, I could be wrong, but I think I saw Mal and Ben dancing during the song. I remembered a couple of things while he was singing. First, I remembered when Kristy's stepsister, Karen, told me about when he sang to Nancy's brother, Danny. I also remembered when he'd played the male lead in _Carnival _at SMS.

The next one up was Kristy, who sang "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn. Anna and I had gotten that movie from Gram Elsie and Grandpa Morris last Chanukah, and when we get older and get out on our own, we may have to flip a coin to see who will get to keep it. Normally, I hate the sound quality of country music, but that was a song I could tolerate.

A few minutes, and two singers, later, it was Stacey's turn. She sang "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson. I remembered a couple more things while she was singing it.

First, I remembered when Mom, Anna, and I had seen _One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest _at the Civic Center last month. The guy who played Harding (I asked him about it after the show, and he told me the director told him to do it just that night, for laughs) when he said the "Oh, damn, why do I always cry?" line. The other thing I remembered was when I saw the Season One finale of _American Idol_ (we own the DVD), and Kelly Clarkson was fanning herself while she was singing. Mom told me that she was so overwhelmed from winning that it caused her to sweat, but I don't believe that for two seconds.

As we got back in our cars to go home, I knew it had been a great evening.


	8. Chapter 8 April, Kristy

_**CHAPTER 8: April—Kristy**_

__It was Good Friday, which also happened to be opening night for _Inherit the Wind. (Bus Stop _would be the following weekend.) Jason and I pulled into the parking lot and got out of the truck. "All set?" I asked him.

"Aye," he answered, "and I've been practicing the Southern accent nonstop. I just hope I can make it through this weekend without needing a lozenge or something."

I nodded in agreement. "And I hope I don't lose my voice, or also need one, from screaming so loud." There was something about his demeanor, though, that made me wonder why he wasn't as enthusiastic as I thought he'd be, even though he did smile at my comment. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I'm all right," he answered. "It's just that Claudia and I called it quits about a week ago."

"I'm sorry, Jason," I said, patting his arm. Now that I think about it, I guess I should've seen this coming, because I noticed that they weren't as lovey-dovey as they used to be.

"That's all right, Kristy," he said. "Honestly, we've both been kind of busy with our baby-sitting, and we knew it was over, but we're still friends, so everything's okay."

While he was speaking, I was remembering something. I remembered that when I'd broken up with Cary Retlin about a couple of years ago, I'd had a similar conversation with Emily.

"That's good to know," I said. By then, we were walking through the front door of the school. "Well, break a leg, Jason."

Thanks," he grinned. "You, too."

Almost as soon as I got backstage, I stepped into the dressing room and changed into my costume. Since I was playing Sarah Brady, my costume was much fancier than the other girls'. I think the script described her as being a "Second Lady" to the nation's "Second Man", or something like that. Also, normally, I don't like wearing dresses, but there are times when it has to be done.

Anyway, my costume was a black dress with white ruffles around the skirt. I'm told that it was used for Eliza's Ascot costume when SHS did _My Fair Lady _ten years ago, which had been their last musical; since then, they've been doing plays. One is that when they were rehearsing the "Ascot Gavotte" number/scene, as soon as they sang, _"Look, it has begun!", _somebody's cell phone rang. I don't remember if the director told me what the ringtone had been, but it would've been cool if it had been "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by KISS. Another is that some of the guys were acting really silly backstage, and saying, "Haven't your lips longed for my kiss? _Show me no-o-o-ow!"_

Well, the play got off to a pretty good start, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the auditorium was packed. I guess more people were familiar with this play than I thought.

During intermission, I changed costumes, putting on another old _My Fair Lady _costume: a pink dress with matching bonnet, which I'm told their Eliza had worn for the "Show Me" number and the Covent Garden scene in Act Two. You know, the scene where Eliza returns to her old haunt, and nobody recognizes her.

Okay, on to Act Two. If you were to ask me what the highlight of the show was, I'd tell you that it was Jason saying the "I believe in the truth of the book of Genesis..." speech, and then he starts rattling off all the books of the Old Testament. While he was speaking, I noticed Karen and Andrew sitting there, just awestruck.

Toward the end of Act Two, which was also toward the end of the play, Jason was saying his "From the hallowed hills..." line, and according to the script, Brady collapses. (The director told Jason to just go down on his hands and knees for that one.) When that happened, Karen looked like she needed to be pried out of her chair with a crowbar, because it looked so real to her. I'm pretty sure she knew that he was just acting. At least I hope she did.

After the show, we met the audience. "Jason, that was fantastic!" Karen exclaimed as she hugged him. "That looked so real, it was almost scary!"

"Oh, I hope I didn't scare you too much," he answered.

"Oh, you didn't, really," Karen told him.

While I watched this, I couldn't help wondering what m father would've thought of this show if he were still alive, or even if he would've showed up. I also discovered that I was feeling something I never once thought I'd feel: forgiveness. Somehow, watching Karen and Andrew congratulating Jason, as well as Mom and Watson telling me what a great show it had been, and how superb I was, helped me find it within myself to forgive Dad for all the things he'd done. Furthermore, I couldn't help wondering if he was feeling the same way I was.

I don't know. All I knew was that Dad was watching over me, and even though he'd left us, something inside me was telling me that he was proud of us, and he loved us, no matter what.


	9. Chapter 9: May, Mary Anne

_**CHAPTER 9: May—Mary Anne**_

__It was the first Friday in May, and we were at a BSC meeting. "Any club business?" Kristy asked, popping a malted milkball into her mouth. Since it wasn't Monday, Stacey didn't have to collect dues.

"Well, summer's coming, and we all know what that means," I said. "Boredom City."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Mal groaned. "I'll be right in the middle of it at my house."

"Well, I was talking to Jason earlier this afternoon, and I think we may have figured out a way to keep the kids from being too bored," I said.

"We're glad you're the Idea Machine, Kristy," Abby said.

"So, what's your idea this time, Kristy?" I asked.

"Well," Kristy said, passing the milkballs to me, "Jason told me about that one time a show choir from one of the local high schools came to his school on Long Island to perform, and he thought it'd be fun if the kids here could do something like that."

We were pretty impressed to hear this. I thought it'd be the best way to keep the kids from being too bored. And I'll tell you something, nobody likes dealing with a bored kid, not even a baby-sitter.

"That's a great idea!" Jessi exclaimed. "Hey, remember how great the kids were in _Carnival_?"

"Oh, yeah, that was a great show," Kristy agreed. "In fact, I can still hear David Michael saying..." She waved her hand around, just like he'd done. "'Aay, Rosalie, I know who she is!'"

Naturally, it got a big laugh. "Just don't call me 'Rosalie, darling'," Stacey warned as she pulled herself together.

"I won't," Kristy promised. "And if Dawn were here, she'd tell us not to call her 'little mouse'."

"Aaanywaaay..." we all said together. That's something that my friends and I do to get back to the original point of the conversation. And that always cracks us up big-time.

"I told Jason that it was a good idea, and of course, we'd have to talk to the music teachers here in town," Kristy said. "I'm sure they'll approve."

"Well, of course they would!" I said. They'd be crazy not to approve one of Kristy Thomas' ideas.

"I hate to change the subject again, but did anyone notice anything?" Mal asked.

We all looked at her with blank faces, and she flashed a huge grin. That's when we definitely noticed something different: her braces were gone!

"Hey, you got your braces off!" Claud exclaimed. "Awesome!"

"Yup," Mal said. "And it was about damn time, too! I didn't think I was ever going to get them off."

"How does it feel, not having them anymore? Kristy wanted to know.

"Oh, my God, it feels great!" Mal answered. "In fact, when Mom and I got home from the orthodontist's office, we saw this huge dinner of corn on the cob, peanut brittle, caramel corn, and basically all the stuff I wasn't allowed to eat before."

"No way!" Stacey cried. "Really?"

Mal nodded and grinned. "And let me tell you, it was the best dinner I've ever had in my life!"

Upon hearing that, Claud reached under her bed, picked up her old rag doll, Lennie, and started dancing with her and singing, _"Heaven, I'm in heaven..._Wing it, honey! WHOO!" We all laughed, then fell silent as we remembered how the late John Ritter had been a good physical comedian, and when he'd done that bit on an episode of _Three's Company_. I also knew that Claud was thinking of all that junk food.

"So, does this mean that you're going to get contacts, too?" Jessi asked.

"Well, if I badger and pester my parents with enough Klondike bars and would you do it's, they might," Mal answered.

"Hey, you know what?" Abby spoke up. "I think I remember seeing those cat's-eye contacts at Zingy's last week. You think your parents will let you get those?"

"Yeah, right," Mal laughed. "I want to show them I'm not a little kid anymore, not kill them!"

"Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed for you," I said.

Well, two bits of good news in one meeting! How about that!


	10. Chapter 10: June, Claudia

A/N: This is the last chapter.

_**CHAPTER 10: June—Claudia**_

__It was the Tuesday of the last week of school. That afternoon, I baby-sat for Jamie and Lucy Newton. Jamie, who's seven, had a Stoneybrook Kids dance rehearsal, and Lucy, who's three and a half, and I were watching them. Actually, I was doing most of the watching. Lucy was more interested in the Blue's Clues coloring book she'd brought with her.

You know something? For their first dance rehearsal, they were doing a good job, despite the fact that when they were doing one of the turns, Jackie accidentally smacked Scott Hsu in the face, which sent him falling backward into Hannie Papadakis, who fell into Bobby Gianelli's arms. (Can you say "domino effect"?) I don't know who was more embarrassed by this: Bobby, Scott, or Hannie. Jackie, on the other hand, was standing there with that "It wasn't my fault" look that we all knew too well.

Then, to top it all off, Bobby got a really sentimental look on his face and said, "Gee, Hannie, I didn't know you cared."

The other kids immediately burst out laughing as Hannie shook her head. "Dream on, Gianelli," she said as she got up. But even she found it funny.

After rehearsal was over, Jamie ran up and threw his arms around my waist. "Hi, Claudia!" he said happily. It seems like only yesterday he was calling me "Claudee"-which Lucy now calls me—and greeting everybody with "hi-hi".

"Hi, Jamie," I said. "You were doing a great job out there."

"Thanks," he smiled.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yeah," he answered, putting his backpack on.

"Come on, Lucy!" I called.

"Okay, Claudee," she answered, putting her coloring book and crayons in her Scooby-Doo bag and standing up.

On the way to the car, Jamie said, "I don't know about you, but I can't wait until the last day of school."

"Oh, definitely," I agreed. Even though I no longer struggled in school, I was still glad to see summer vacation coming.

"Oh, guess what?" Lucy said. "I'll be starting preschool next year."

"Oh, that's great," I said as I buckled her into her carseat.

"I liked it when I went," Jamie said, fastening his seatbelt. "I'm sure you will, too."

"Thanks, Jamie," she said.

When we got back to the Newtons', I fixed the kids a snack and turned on the TV. The movie that just so happened to be on was _Spaceballs, _and it was already up to the part where Dark Helmet is playing with his dolls. In fact, Jamie thought it was so funny, he used his carrot and celery sticks and acted it out along with the movie. It reminded me of when I was six, and Janine and I were spending a weekend with Russ and Peaches. It was also the first time I'd seen that movie, and when it got to that part, I'd used the set of Magic Markers I'd brought with me and acted it out.

Okay, back to Jamie's little performance. "'No, please, leave me alone!' 'No, kiss me!' 'No!' 'Yes!' 'No!' 'Yes!' 'Oh! Oh! Ohh, your helmet is so _big!" _he said, sounding exactly like Rick Moranis. Lucy laughed so hard that she spit her apple juice across the room. Thankfully, she wasn't eating, so I didn't have to worry about giving her the Heimlich maneuver if she choked on something. I did, however, have to wipe some juice off the TV screen.

"Okay, Jamie, that'll do," I laughed as I finished wiping off the TV screen.

"So, Claudia," Jamie said as soon as he'd calmed down. "Are you coming to our concert?"

"Oh, you bet," I agreed. "Remember when you were in All the Children?"

"Yeah," Jamie said, his face brightening. "That was so much fun! And remember the songs we sang?"

"I'll say," I answered.

I knew that Jamie would have fun with the Stoneybrook Kids, and seeing his little performance with his snack really convinced me.

**THE END**


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